This week, our list grows to 250 songs, and we partake in our tradition of surprising each other with songs aimed at the top and the bottom of the list. Ian’s pick for the top causes tears of joy to flow and hearts to swell with love, while RJ’s pick for the bottom is all about hatred.
We did it, y’all. We made it half-way through 2017. Next Christmas is only 200 days away! To celebrate, we’re looking back at the best and worst holiday albums of 2016. The charming “I’m Your Santa” by Chance the Rapper and Jeremih is our pick for best, and the incomprehensible “Drivin’ the Pig (Manejando el Cerdo)” by the incomparable Jimmy Buffett is, well, you know.
We’re celebrating National Doughnut Day with two songs celebrating doughnuts – specifically, sufganiyot, jelly doughnuts eaten at Hanukkah time! “Sufganiot” by A.K.A. Pella is a love song to this fried food while “A Land Called Sufganiyot” by Mama Doni Band is more of a sci-fi/horror journey.
We cover two Christmas duets with two different takes on love. An anonymous request introduces us to “Christmas TV” by Slow Club, a guileless song full of yearning and affirmation – we pair it with “Are You Coming Over for Christmas?” by Belle & Sebastian, which might be the audio equivalent of “Baby It’s Cold Outside” cosplay.
This week, we made the ill-advised decision to theme an episode around Armed Forces Day! The strangeness of “Snoopy’s Christmas” by The Royal Guardsmen is somewhat overwhelmed by nostalgia, but we have no such fond attachments to “Christmas in Fallujah” by Cass Dillon. Thanks to Chris and Matt* for the request!
This week, we’re going back to basics. No gimmicks, no conspiracy theories, just straight-up rock ‘n roll. An anonymous request leaves RJ and Ian pondering a pair of somewhat sleepy indie-rock songs: “It’s a Lonely Christmas” by The Charters and “Come on Santa” by The Raveonettes. We discover a novel way to improve the latter, but find the former mostly unsalvageable.
In honor of the Kentucky Derby (and in the interest of listening to at least ONE good song to re-calibrate our sensibilities), we discuss two horse-themed Christmas tunes. “Sleigh Ride” by The Ronettes is a refreshing treat with way more horse stuff than we remembered. “Hang An Ornament” by Grandaddy and Band of Horses is a bit more meandering in comparison, but still pretty impressive for a band composed of literal horses.
We lose a joke into the ether, discuss the fate of the project after we die in the post-podcast future, and reveal STARTLING new information that will change the holiday romcom world… forever. What does Administrative Professionals Day and two Christmas novelty songs from the UK have to do with all this? We’re connecting the dots this week. Wake up, sheeple. Thanks to Russell for the request!
4/20 nice nice nice it’s the fucking weed day man fuck
This week we listened to “Be Claus I Got High” by Bob Rivers and “I’ll Be Stoned for Christmas” by Dent May. Did you think we were out of weed holiday songs after last year? We are not even out of weed holiday songs *by Bob Rivers*.
We’re typically more of a Santa show (on the Santa/Jesus Christmas spectrum) but this week to celebrate Easter we discuss two modern religious Christmas songs. As far as that description goes, we could have done much worse, but we still end up scratching our heads as we discuss “Mary Did You Know” by Pentatonix and “Who Would Imagine a King” by Whitney Houston. Thanks to Dylan for the request!